diff --git a/src/plyngent/cli/models_source.py b/src/plyngent/cli/models_source.py
index 5415664..dbcc494 100644
--- a/src/plyngent/cli/models_source.py
+++ b/src/plyngent/cli/models_source.py
@@ -76,11 +76,19 @@ async def fetch_remote_model_ids(
         raise TypeError(msg)
     result = method()
     if inspect.isawaitable(result):
-        if timeout_seconds > 0:
-            async with asyncio.timeout(timeout_seconds):
+        try:
+            if timeout_seconds > 0:
+                async with asyncio.timeout(timeout_seconds):
+                    result = await result
+            else:
                 result = await result
-        else:
-            result = await result
+        except TimeoutError as exc:
+            msg = f"models() timed out after {timeout_seconds}s"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg) from exc
+        except asyncio.CancelledError as exc:
+            # SSL/HTTP stacks may surface cancel instead of TimeoutError; treat as soft fail.
+            msg = "models() was cancelled or timed out"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg) from exc
     if not isinstance(result, list):
         msg = f"models() returned unexpected type {type(result)!r}"
         raise TypeError(msg)
diff --git a/src/plyngent/cli/state.py b/src/plyngent/cli/state.py
index df7b63a..b2471d5 100644
--- a/src/plyngent/cli/state.py
+++ b/src/plyngent/cli/state.py
@@ -305,7 +305,11 @@ class ReplState:
         return list(ids)
 
     async def merged_model_choices(self, *, refresh: bool = False) -> list[str]:
-        """Config plus remote catalog; remote fetch best-effort when refresh/missing."""
+        """Config plus remote catalog; remote fetch best-effort when refresh/missing.
+
+        Network / timeout / cancel failures fall back to cache or config-only ids
+        so ``/provider`` switches never hang or fail solely on GET /models.
+        """
         remote: list[str] | None
         try:
             remote = await self.ensure_remote_models(refresh=refresh)
diff --git a/tests/test_cli/test_models_source.py b/tests/test_cli/test_models_source.py
index d96dde4..7b4b7c8 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli/test_models_source.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli/test_models_source.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ async def test_fetch_remote_model_ids_timeout() -> None:
             await asyncio.sleep(10)
             return ["late"]
 
-    with pytest.raises(TimeoutError):
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="timed out"):
         _ = await fetch_remote_model_ids(Slow(), timeout_seconds=0.05)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli/test_repl_commands.py b/tests/test_cli/test_repl_commands.py
index a724fe6..c502324 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli/test_repl_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli/test_repl_commands.py
@@ -234,6 +234,13 @@ async def test_provider_switch_prompts_when_model_missing(
     state.model = "only-a"
     state.rebuild_client()
 
+    # No real GET /models — catalog is config-only for unit tests.
+    async def _no_remote(*, refresh: bool = False) -> list[str]:
+        del refresh
+        return []
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(state, "ensure_remote_models", _no_remote)
+
     # When switching to b, only-a is missing → select_model is invoked interactively.
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "plyngent.cli.slash.select_model",
@@ -250,7 +257,10 @@ async def test_provider_switch_prompts_when_model_missing(
     assert row.model == "only-b"
 
 
-async def test_provider_switch_keeps_shared_model(state: ReplState) -> None:
+async def test_provider_switch_keeps_shared_model(
+    state: ReplState,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
     from plyngent.config.models import ModelConfig, OpenAICompatibleProvider, OpenAIProvider
 
     state.config.providers = {
@@ -268,6 +278,12 @@ async def test_provider_switch_keeps_shared_model(state: ReplState) -> None:
     state.provider = state.config.providers["a"]
     state.model = "shared"
     state.rebuild_client()
+
+    async def _no_remote(*, refresh: bool = False) -> list[str]:
+        del refresh
+        return []
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(state, "ensure_remote_models", _no_remote)
     assert await handle_slash(state, "/provider b") is True
     assert state.provider_name == "b"
     assert state.model == "shared"